abilities

noun

plural of ability
as in capabilities
the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abilities Psychologists identified a striking disconnect between Boukamp's intellectual abilities and his social functioning. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 While some abilities, like spotting vulnerabilities in software, are useful to attackers and defenders, designing exploits for those vulnerabilities uniquely empowers attackers. — Harry Booth, Time, 24 July 2026 On the customer side, homeowners need to understand their vehicles’ abilities and how to self-manage their system. — Alexa St. John, Fortune, 23 July 2026 This investment in hand movement takes raccoon learning abilities to the next level – explaining why Toronto paid roughly US$24 million to develop raccoon-proof trash bins. — Kelly Lambert, The Conversation, 23 July 2026 Aside from their individual abilities to capture the characters, the cast had to work well as a group. — Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026 He always has been drawn to people whose interests and abilities refused to fit neatly inside their public identities. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026 Accessibility Apple gave Procreate a Design Award in 2022 for its accessibility features that suit people of diverse backgrounds, physical abilities, and languages. — Shelby Putnam Tupper, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026 Those records showed that several current and former Saint Alphonsus healthcare professionals who worked alongside Shapiro raised concerns and filed complaints about the surgeon’s abilities and his impacts on patient safety over the course of years. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities
  1. capabilities
  2. capacities
  3. skills
  4. talents
  5. faculties
  6. aptitudes
  7. competencies
Noun
  • Those capabilities develop through sustained investment in the cognitive and psychological dimensions of leadership—an investment most organizations classify as optional, or defer in favor of more measurable training outputs.
    — Cindy Rodriguez Constable, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Chinese institutions have the capabilities and are doing cutting edge work, said Huang.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of capabilities
Noun
  • Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Villalobos, who has worked in the district in various capacities for 32 years, was previously the principal of Miami Springs Senior High School — one of the institutions that the district is combining with a nearby campus due to under-enrollment.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of capacities
Noun
  • His long-term vision is for Frosty Frogs to become more than a dessert shop by serving as a place where young people develop confidence, business skills and leadership experience.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • Newly promoted from the Arizona Complex League to Low-A San Jose, the Giants’ two top prospects took turns showing off their defensive skills, eliciting cheers and a gasp of disbelief or two from the crowd at Excite Ballpark Saturday night.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of skills
Noun
  • And an anthology spinoff issue, a Halloween Special with talents such as James Tynion IV and Tony Fleecs, is being published in October.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026
  • Most went on to different fields, but many took their talents to the next level.
    — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
Definition of talents
Noun
  • The Chicago Teachers Union voted by a 2-1 ratio to accept a plan to integrate faculties in the city’s public schools.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
  • Your intuitive faculties are on point today as the sun coordinates with Neptune.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Definition of faculties
Noun
  • For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
  • This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.
    — GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025
Definition of aptitudes
Noun
  • Use it to generate a standardized set of interview questions tied directly to the competencies the role requires.
    — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Do the activities encourage time spent interacting with others online, which can help young people develop important skills and competencies?
    — Gabriel E. Hales, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of competencies

Browse Nearby Words

abigails
abilities
ability
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Cite this Entry

“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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